'Inspiring and educational': Students start Women in Pre-Law organization

When UNC sophomore Alana Kendrick told her mother she wished there was an organization for women planning to go into law school last summer, her mother responded, “Is there not?”

“So I was like, ‘Why don’t I start it?’” Kendrick said.

This semester, Kendrick and fellow sophomore Amber Kakkar are launching the Women in Pre-Law student organization at UNC. Kendrick said she wanted to harbor a space for women in the field. 

“I wanted to offer a space to talk about that, build connections and to form one of the relationships that is going to help us step forward into a field that doesn't always value us,” she said.

As of now, Kendrick and Kakkar are leading the club — Kendrick is its president and Kakkar is the vice president and financial officer. Kendrick said they have multiple leadership positions to fill and they want new members to add their ideas. One goal of their organization is to maintain low membership fees, if any at all. 

"It’s hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to prep for, take the LSAT, and then apply," she said. "Let alone the financial burden of actually attending law school. And we really don't want to add any financial stresses to an already incredibly expensive process."

Kakkar said that, for her, she feels her entire childhood has led her in the direction of law school. Both her brothers and her father work as attorneys, she said, so when Kendrick, her friend and classmate, asked her to become the club’s vice president, she agreed.

“I think that Alana has gone out of her way to create a space for women that is both inspiring and educational,” she said.

While creating the organization, Kendrick also spoke to her public policy professor, Jeff Summerlin-Long, about becoming the club's academic advisor. Summerlin-Long said he feels that if Kendrick and Kakkar's club was a general pre-law organization, women’s voices would not be getting the amplitude they deserve, even today. He said the students are creating a place for women to build connections, share ideas and approach the law school process together.

“I hope to see a more sort of diverse group of people getting interested in law school,” he said. “Not just women, but women from a variety of majors and backgrounds.”

He also said his own experience in law school taught him that the pre-law process doesn’t have to be how it’s been historically in terms of competitiveness, and can instead focus more about community.

Kakkar and Kendrick both said they want the club to create a sense of belonging for members. They have a variety of ideas for future club events, including an LSAT crash course, resume workshops and guest speakers to provide inspiration for members. Their first interest meeting will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Interested members can check out the organization's HeelLife and Instagram pages.

Kendrick said one of the main things she wants to do is collaborate with UNC's Women in Law, an organization for women in law school, to see what her club can do to “be in their shoes” in a few years. She also said she wants to build off other organizations, specifically the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta and the Black Pre-Law Student Association, who she said are already doing an incredible job on campus.

“We're making a lot of progress and making these spaces, which weren't accessible, more comfortable for people who aren't traditionally seen in the legal field,” she said. “And I'm just here to continue on that pathway.”

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